The present invention relates generally to coaxial cable connectors and more particularly to coaxial cable connectors having a female configuration at an end opposite the connection point for a coaxial cable, and an optional adapter therefor.
Coaxial cable connectors, such as axially-compressible RCA, BNC, and F connectors, are used to attach a coaxial cable to another object, such as an appliance or junction, having a terminal adapted to engage the coaxial cable connector. After an end of the coaxial cable is trimmed using one of several known cable preparation techniques, the trimmed end of the coaxial cable is inserted into a back end of the connector. Then, the coaxial cable connector is axially compressed using one of several known installation tools, and the coaxial cable connector and the coaxial cable become permanently attached to each other.
Disadvantageously, many known connectors require “blind entry” of the coaxial cable into the connector, meaning that a small opening in the coaxial cable connector into which it is necessary to insert the center conductor of the coaxial cable becomes blocked from a user's view by a dielectric component or the jacket of the coaxial cable. The dielectric component or jacket blocks the user's view of the small opening primarily because the small opening is recessed too deeply in the coaxial cable connector. Such known coaxial cable connectors often make it difficult to ensure that the dielectric component, or foam core, of the coaxial cable is properly centered within the coaxial cable connector during insertion of the coaxial cable into the coaxial cable connector.
Many known connectors utilize separate or loose components that must be manipulated during installation, and, therefore, are subject to loss or damage. For example, a known RCA connector is supplied with a loose contact, meaning that the contact is not integral with the body of the connector when shipped and is easily lost or misplaced. Additionally, such a coaxial cable connector is more cumbersome and expensive since extra manipulation is required to install the separate component.
Therefore, a coaxial cable connector is needed that obviates these issues and provides a connector that is easy to install and allows the user a view for inserting the coaxial cable.